Swamp cooler in pen

[Pecky03]

So I got a swamp cooler this summer because here in Vegas we already hit 100. I hv Two New Hampshire red chickens that are pretty big girls. I have the swamp cooler blowing back-and-forth but aimed down directly at the girls to feel the coolness. I’m just wondering if they can handle the direct breeze. I’ve seen different articles and post about having their coop with a fan but is it blowing directly on them. I’m just questioning because this morning one of the girls was breathing funny and had some diarrhea and I was hoping I’m not causing her a respiratory infection. Her breathing is labored but that’s just because it’s 100° and it’s still at least 90 in the pen. I have the top of the coop open at night for ventilation but I don’t have the swamp cooler on because it gets down to about 80. Throughout the day today she was fine. there’s no more runny poops and she did lay an egg. And she hasn't had a problem with eating.
so the question is can they handle the cool breeze blowing directly on them. I did some research and it said to give her some minced garlic in the water or apple cider vinegar or crushed up an echinacea pill and put it in the water or on her food. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[aart]

Misters might be a better option in arid climates.
Not an option here in the steamy midwest.....


Deep all day shade is best but....none of that here either, just shade cloths but that barely helps.

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

 

[iwltfum]

Misters might be a better option in arid climates.
Not an option here in the steamy midwest.....


Deep all day shade is best but....none of that here either, just shade cloths but that barely helps.

Misters! I forgot about misters. I used to use them all summer in the desert canyon that I lived in in the four corners area in Colorado. They were a game changer. The chickens would just sit in the mist all day. We experienced one summer there where the daytime high temps weren't below 110 for 3 months. That was the year we decided to move to Maine. I made misters with PVC pipe and sprinkler mister heads from HD. Super simple and quite lovely to hang out in the mist yourself on those hot days. Often times both me and the chickens would be taking advantage of them!

 

[iwltfum]

Misters! I would love to have a mister set-up. But they use an astonishing amount of water. This is a problem in an area such as mine where I'm even lucky as all get-out to have piped water to my place. For the first ten years I lived here on my mountain, I had to haul home every drop of water I used. Now, I have to pay quite a lot of money for the convenience of a water line fifteen miles from town supplying my water.

For desert dwellers, this situation is a common one. Water is getting in shorter supply as western states experience long term drought. It seems the areas that are hot and dry enough where you'd need misters are places where water is not in abundant supply.

A swamp cooler uses a tiny fraction of the water a mister does since it mostly recycles the water.

Oh yeah. I did forget about water being a potential issue. Our "misters" were actually foggers that used about 1/5th the water than typical misters. Ours ran at less than 1 gallon per hour at full pressure, I made sure of that. We did have a surprisingly productive well in the canyon though since we lived between a heavily irrigated alfalfa field and the irrigation ditch. If water is an issue, digging a small pond might help with the heat issue, if that is at all possible; or using one of those plastic pond forms from the hardware store and burming it in. The chickens could use that to cool down and it conserves water and provides habitat for delicious grubs and bugs and also naturally cools down the area around it.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My chickens were afraid of the misters I installed for them - haha! I can be out there with power tools, and they don't even react. Turn on those misters, and they all run and cower!

 

[aart]

Misters! I would love to have a mister set-up. But they use an astonishing amount of water. This is a problem in an area such as mine where I'm even lucky as all get-out to have piped water to my place. For the first ten years I lived here on my mountain, I had to haul home every drop of water I used. Now, I have to pay quite a lot of money for the convenience of a water line fifteen miles from town supplying my water.

For desert dwellers, this situation is a common one. Water is getting in shorter supply as western states experience long term drought. It seems the areas that are hot and dry enough where you'd need misters are places where water is not in abundant supply.

A swamp cooler uses a tiny fraction of the water a mister does since it mostly recycles the water.

Very good point!
We just sell all our water to nestle for bottling

 

[Pecky03]

Can you make the cooler blow in one half of the coop but not the other? Then the hens could choose where they want to be. Same for ice, baths, and wading: maybe set it up so the hens can choose what to do.

In my experience, hens are fairly good at moving to one place or another, according to what's comfortable. For example, I've seen hens sit in the shade under a bush until a cloud covers the sun, then run out to eat grass and bugs while it's cooler, then run back to the shady bush when the sun comes out again.

The fans on the swamp cooler Oscillate... so it’s not constantly blowing directly on them. I’ll put that oxine in the reservoir of the swamp cooler and hopefully that’ll help with any respiratory issues. We have a heat advisory so it looks like it’s gonna have to run day and night.

 

[azygous]

I had a swamp cooler at one time and I know they can be vectors of mold and fungus. I think it's a terrific idea to have the swamp cooler in the coop or run but you should avoid aiming it directly at the chickens.

Have you heard of Oxine? You can find it on the internet. It's a disinfectant and anti-fungal, and unlike bleach, it won't harm motor parts. I would put a little in the reservoir every few days to counter mold spores. The Oxine would be misting in the air over the chickens, and this would be beneficial. It's perfectly safe.

 

[Pecky03]

Ok, I’ll try to aim the vents up and I’m getting that oxine. Thank all!

 

[aart]

Often times both me and the chickens would be taking advantage of them!

Even in Maine?!
I experienced misters in AZ on vacation, I was amazed...really wished they worked here.